Dread Hunter (3.5e Prestige Class)
Dread Hunter
| “ | I smell... Devils | ” |
| —Lessien Miriel, Elven Dread Hunter | ||
Dread Hunters are the ultimate hunters, using their immense knowledge of foes to bring them down. As they study, they learn how to detect their foes with their mere presence, and by the time they master the ways of the Dread Hunter, they master the art of hunting. They may freely reallocate all of their chosen foes each day at this point. Dread Hunters are an ancient myth of nature, but those who carry out the lives and traditions of the Dread Hunters have so too mastered the forests and those who inhabit it.
Becoming a Dread Hunter
Dread Hunters gain extraordinary powers that allow them to hunt anything... or anyone. No one can be safe from the bloody blade or the dead eye shot of a Dread Hunter. They are the master hunters, master predators, and master slayers.
| Alignment: | Any |
|---|---|
| Base Attack Bonus: | +11 |
| Skills: | Survival 14 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 14 ranks. |
| Feats: | Track, Endurance |
| Spellcasting: | Ability to cast 3rd level divine spells. |
| Special: | 3 Favored Enemies, Wild Empathy, Woodland Stride, Swift Tracker, Evasion, must have tracked and slew a favored enemy of at least the candidate's level, must have survived alone in a hostile wilderness environment for 3 days, and the candidate must have dealt a collective total of 200 damage to favored enemies through the use of the favored enemy bonus alone. |
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spellcasting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Favored Enemy, Prestige Ranger | +1 to existing divine spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Detect Favored Enemy | +1 to existing divine spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Hunting Polymath | +1 to existing divine spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level) Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str),Knowledge (Dungeonerring) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
Prestige Ranger: This class is a prestige class meant for rangers. Thus, levels taken in Dread Hunter stack with ranger levels for determining animal companion bonuses, DCs for special abilities (such as death of enemies, and other features (such as Wild Empathy).
Favored Enemy (Ex): Dread Hunters begin their studies by paging through a list of all of their potential foes. At level 1, a Dread Hunter selects an additional favored enemy from the favored enemy table. In addition, the bonus against any one favored enemy increases by 2.
Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a Dread Hunter, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Detect Favored Enemy (Sp): Dread hunters' mastery over the sounds, smells, and disguises of their foes resonates in a magical field. A Dread Hunter of 2nd level may use the Detect Favored Enemy spell as a spell-like ability at will, with a caster level equal to her Ranger (or whatever class grants her favored enemies) level + her Dread Hunter level.
Hunting Polymath (Ex): At 3rd level, a Dread Hunter becomes the ultimate hunter. At the start of every day, when she prepares her spells, she may retrain her favored enemies as she sees fit. For example, a Ranger 11/Dread Hunter 3 has four favored enemies. Each day, upon preparing her spells, she may select her favored enemies as well.
Playing a Dread Hunter
Combat: A Dread Hunter's role in combat focuses on dealing damage to her chosen foes. Her specific role, archer or striker, depends on how she applied herself before becoming a Dread Hunter. Nonetheless, a Dread hunter gains extraordinary prowess in hunting that allows her to slay almost anything.
Advancement: Dread Hunters are almost always rangers due to most of the prerequisites being class features of the ranger. After completing the way of the Dread Hunter, a character will most likely pursue the rest of the ranger class.
Resources: Dread Hunters can expect respect from Druids, Barbarians, Rangers, and certain Clerics and Paladins. This is due to their extreme dedication and knowledge, as well as their prowess in nature.
Dread Hunters in the World
| “ | I smell... Devils... and Zombies... and Beholders. | ” |
| —Lessien Miriel, Elven Dread Hunter | ||
Dread Hunters may work for churches as hunters of undead and demons. Others may work with druids to defend nature from abberations. A few more adventurous Dread Hunters may hunt dangerous creatures, such as dragons, in search of fame and fortune.
NPC Reactions: Commoners generally do not.
Dread Hunter Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Nature) can research Dread Hunters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 16 | Dread Hunters have mastered the art of hunting. |
| 21 | A Dread Hunter's prowess can resonate in a magical field. |
| 26 | Master Dread Hunters can select their favored foes at the start of every day. |
| 31 | The original Dread Hunters were a trio of rangers who attempted to re-train their chosen foes after a beholder destroyed their village. |
Dread Hunters in the Game
Dread Hunters are rangers who cover a wide variety of favored foes to hunt. Good aligned Dread Hunters may hunt undead, evil outsiders, or evil dragons. Neutral Dread Hunters may hunt aberrations, oozes, vermin, and constructs. Evil Dread Hunters typically hunt giants, fey, good outsiders, and good dragons.
Adaptation: Dread Hunters may be adaptable as an ancient order of rangers who study the world around them
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